AN IT manager who "fantasised" about children befriended young girls online to try and get them to meet for sex.

Peter Evans, 64, used MSN messenger to have "indecent" conversations with eight different children aged between nine and 15.

He pleaded guilty to eight counts of the charge and also admitted possessing more than 480 images of child porn at Lewes Crown Court.

Police only discovered the chats, which took place in 2010 and 2011, while investigating him for possessing indecent images of children in 2013. Officers were never able to identify the victims.

In court heard Evans had a "history" of sexual interests like "swinging parties" and "that sort of thing".

James Scobie, defending, said: "His case is that he has been and was involved in this types of fantasies of children with other adults. Unfortunately it has gone from fantasy to reality.

"The court should know that beyond these chats there was nothing else. I'm not saying that it's not very serious. None of us are unrealistic to the seriousness of these charges."

Evans would need help not to "revert back" to "where he has come from", the court heard.

Evidence showed even though there had been "prolonged" conversations in some instances, no meetings ever took place, a police spokesman said.

He added: "None of the images are believed to be of local children and there was no evidence to suggest that any of the chat related to girls in the area.

"Enquiries were made but it did not prove possible to identify the people with whom he had been in contact. The data extracted from his computer did not provide a means of contact with them and the content of the chat did not indicate identities or locations."

Evans, of Bramber Way, Burgess Hill, was released on bail and will be sentenced next month.